Budding chefs who can now practise their dishes in a new £25,000 kitchen have been getting tips from expert Galton Blackiston.

The Norfolk-born chef officially opened the new facility at Cromer Junior School on Monday, November 12.

The celebrity TV star, who runs the renowned Morston Hall and No 1 Cromer restaurants, said he was impressed with the youngsters’ enthusiasm for cooking.

He told them: “I got in to cooking by mistake, as I was not really good at anything else. I had a market stall at 17 where I put all my cakes and pies each Thursday. People love home-made produce. Then, I worked in hotels, but I always wanted to come back to Norfolk.”

He has written four cookery books, the latest of which is Hook, Line and Sinker.

Cromer Junior School pupils in their new kitchen. Pictures: David Bale

One of his all-time heroes is Michel Roux, who had written a foreword to his latest book, he said.

Responding to questions from the pupils, he said lamb was his favourite meal to cook, but he also liked Cromer crabs and ice cream.

“You can always tell the quality of a restaurant by how good its lemon tarts are,” he said.

He also had praise for fellow celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

He added: “I have met him several times and he’s a really good guy.”

And he named Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London as his favourite UK restaurant.

“They serve brilliant cooking but it will cost you an arm and a leg,” he added.

The school’s headteacher Whil de Neve said the kitchen, which will be available for use by pupils, would allow the school to include cookery as a bigger part of the curriculum.

“It was paid for from the school budget, capital funds, but we also had donations,” he said. “Morrisons started us on our way with a £250 donation. “The space was always earmarked for a new kitchen, as the old one was about 25 years old.

“We can do loads more cooking on the school curriculum and we want to set up some parent/ child cooking classes.”

One of the youngsters enjoying making pizza was Ellis Hill, 10, who said she enjoyed it.